Growing cannabis like any other plant is a long process. Long process in terms of getting the right permissions, finding good seeds to be grown, allotting an area inside the home or on hidden personal grounds, and whatnot. It takes real-time and effort on the part of the grower. This is why it might seem like a tiresome task for some.
Well, the Oklahoma medical marijuana doctors assure us that it isn’t as difficult as it seems. There are just a few important details that you should remember if you want to grow it at home. If you want to know what they are and how you should proceed with it in the US state of Oklahoma, here is a step-by-step guide.
Step 1: The Preparation
The first step for beginning any activity is to prepare for it properly. It isn’t even a matter of discussion if you should or not prepare for it, you simply have to make the right preparations for growing cannabis at home. What are the important tasks that fall into this step? Let’s find out.
- Finding out the law of the state: Since we are focusing on Oklahoma, we are aware of how it is legal for a person to grow marijuana at home provided they have an Oklahoma medical marijuana card. With this card, it is possible for a legal patient to grow and maintain six flowering and six seedlings plants at one time in their home.
- Seeking information from valid sites: Only sources like Norml.org or official government websites should be trusted when it comes to following the legal rules of growing marijuana at home.
- Listening to the right expert guidance: Nobody can deny the importance of getting the advice of experts in this field. People must always consult the right authorities to ensure that the seeds that they buy are good and the plants that are grown are given the right conditions for growth.
- Ensuring the right growing conditions: This is another important part of the process that is quite important. A person must ensure that the place of growth has the right conditions that will aid in the growth of the plants. For example, the grower must possess the right tools, lighting equipment, temperature, fertilizers, etc.
Step 2: The Planting
The next step that naturally falls in the process of cultivating cannabis is the plantation stage. Planting the seed starts in a way that is slightly different from the norm. You first start out by testing the seed at the very beginner’s stage.
- Testing the quality of seed: Cover the seed with a wet tissue and put it inside a ziplock bag. Let this bag stay in a warm environment for a few days and open it. If you see a whitetail poking out it is good to plant, if not then look for a new seed.
- Planting the seed in a container: The next step is obviously to plant this white-tailed seed into a clean container that has pre-existing holes for proper water drainage. The seed should be planted anywhere between 1 and 2 inches beneath the surface of the soil.
- Shifting the seedling to a bigger pot: After a while, if a stem emerges from the soil with a few leaves, you can shift the plant from the container to a pot, to give the roots space to grow. It is important to note here that the person must avoid putting the plant in the actual ground outside their home as it might invariably be in plain view of the public. This is why a good pot inside the house is a better alternative.
Related Article: How to Grow Marijuana at Home in Oklahoma
Step 3: The Up Keep
At this stage, the main motive of the grower is to maintain the environment for the proper growth of their cannabis plants. Here are a few things that the person can do to ensure the proper upkeep of their plants.
- Watering the plant from time to time: Each plant requires a routinely watering schedule for optimum growth. Since each cannabis plant is different and requires quite a personalized irrigation schedule, it is important for the person to either consult an expert, a book, or a guide. Don’t overwater, but water it just right.
- Supplying the right lighting: All cannabis grower enthusiasts are aware of how photosensitive cannabis plants are. If the plants are being grown indoors far from the public view, it would be important for the person to supply the right lighting conditions to ensure the plant actually grows. There is the provision of introducing many types of an LED or HID lights into the area to help speed up the process. However, another matter of concern is to maintain a good schedule of exposing them to light and darkness in equal amounts. These plants get adversely affected with a phenomenon like a light burn which can deteriorate the quality of the bud or flowers.
- Maintaining the right temperature: Like any other plant, a cannabis plant also requires a particular temperature range to grow. Introducing humidifiers or ACs based on the requirement of the plant is something that a person can think over if they want to ensure good output.
Step 4: The Harvest
The final stage is obviously in the way of harvesting your little baby plant which is now all grown up. It usually takes a period of a few weeks for a cannabis plant to mature so the person should be ready to harvest at the right time.
- Know when and how to cut it: It is important for the person to know how to and when to cut the plant. Some people prefer to cut the plant from the base whereas others prefer to cut off the buds and flowers separately. It is a personal decision that the person must make on their own. Cutting the plants way before time is another issue that beginners struggle with. They cut the plants before these buds have reached their full maturation stage which can be a bit of a miss. To avoid this people can consult online forums or an expert grower.
- Trying to control the strong aroma: Just before harvest time, another issue that pops up is in the way of an extremely strong aroma of mature plants. These ready-to-cut or -use plants will smell fantastic but overwhelming. Hence one thing the grower should also remember is to do something in the way of controlling the smell.
Also Read: 5 Best Low Odor Cannabis Strains You Can Easily Grow at Home
Conclusion
The whole process of growing marijuana at home is actually very easy. It is up to the person to follow the right precautions and put in the blood and sweat to make it a success. Hopefully, this step-by-step guide has been helpful for the patients of Oklahoma in particular. A rule that they should always remember is that at one time, only six mature and six seedlings cannabis plants should be present in their home.